Lobster Pasta with Lemon and Cherry Tomatoes

Indulge in a dish where starchy pasta water creates a silk-like creaminess, while buttery extra virgin olive oil echoes the richness of the lobster meat. It’s vibrant and fresh—a dish that tastes opulent but never heavy. Lobster pasta is sumptuous enough for a special occasion, but so deceptively simple you won’t be trapped in the kitchen all night.  

If the thought of cooking lobster makes you nervous, breathe a sigh of relief. I’ve included instructions for using either pre-cooked or raw lobster tails, so there is no need to cook a whole lobster. This lobster pasta is equally at home at a winter holiday table as it is at a breezy summer dinner. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate a birthday, a promotion—or even a Wednesday night!

Key Ingredients 

• Lobster: I promise not to ask you to boil a whole lobster here! Lobster meat is typically sold in grocery stores in a couple of ways—fully cooked and frozen, or as raw tails. You can use either in this recipe. If using frozen lobster, defrost thoroughly overnight in the refrigerator before using. 
• Pasta: Any long pasta shape will do, but I like to use bucatini in this recipe. It’s similar to spaghetti but has a hollow core, which helps slurp up sauces like a straw—infusing the pasta with the rich sauce! The only long pasta I don’t recommend is angel hair, because I think it’s overwhelmed by the obster and tomato pieces in this recipe.
• Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are my pick for this recipe because, unlike other types, they’re delicious year-round. I like how their zippy acidity contrasts the rich flavor of the lobster, and red cherry tomatoes nicely echo the red lobster flesh for a very visually-pleasing dish! 
• White wine and seafood are a natural pairing; the acidity of the wine balances the richness of the lobster. In this recipe, I use wine to deglaze the pot and to create a base for the sauce. I recommend using an oaked Chardonnay because the buttery notes in the wine will coat the lobster with a rich, creamy flavor that still has enough acid to balance the dish. 
• Lemon zest perfumes the lobster with a fresh, clean scent. The dish is finished with lemon juice to add a zippy brightness. 

How to Make Lobster Pasta

• Steam the lobster: If using pre-cooked lobster, chop 6 to 8 ounces into 1/2-inch pieces, place in a medium bowl, and move on to the next step of seasoning the lobster. If using raw lobster tails, bring a pot of water to a boil with a steamer basket set over the water, taking care that the boiling water doesn’t touch the bottom of the steamer basket. Place 1 1/2 pounds of raw lobster tails in the steamer basket and cover. Lower the heat until the water is at a gentle simmer, and steam for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the shells are bright red and the flesh is opaque. Remove from heat and rinse lobster tails in cold water to stop cooking. When cool enough to handle, carefully remove the meat from the tails and chop into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Place lobster pieces in a medium bowl.
• Season the lobster. To the bowl with the lobster meat, add the zest of a lemon and 2 tablespoons of freshly minced parsley.
• Boil the pasta. Bring a large stockpot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to the boiling water and cook 1 pound bucatini or other long pasta until just shy of al dente, 2 minutes less than the package indicates. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
• Make the sauce. While pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven until the surface just begins to shimmer. Add 2 large (about 4 ounces) finely-diced shallots and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and sauté until shallots become soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat if the shallot begins to brown. 
• Build the sauce. When the shallots are tender and translucent, add 1/4 cup white wine and simmer vigorously, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes. When the wine has reduced until there is almost no liquid left in the pan, add 2 finely-minced garlic cloves and 4 cups cherry tomatoes. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes soften and begin to burst, about 10 minutes. You can help this process along by using your wooden spoon to lightly smash the tomatoes against the side of the pan.
• Assemble the dish. When most of the tomatoes have burst and created a bubbling sauce, turn the heat down to medium-low and add the lobster meat. Stir to combine, then add the pasta and 1/4 cup pasta water. Using tongs, toss the mixture together until the pasta is lightly coated with tomato sauce and pieces of lobster meat. If the mix looks a little dry, splash in the remaining pasta water and stir to combine. 
• Finish and serve. Remove pasta from the heat and drizzle in the lemon juice. Plate the pasta and garnish with the remaining parsley, flaky salt, a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese (optional). Serve immediately.

Make it Your Own

• Switch Up The Protein: Lobster is delicious but expensive! For a more budget-friendly meal, try subbing 1 pound of shrimp or 8 ounces of lump crab meat for the lobster. 
• Play With Your Pasta: I recommend using bucatini for this recipe, but those particular noodles can be hard to find sometimes! Substitute any long, slightly thick pasta shape like fettuccine, pappardelle, or mafaldine. 
• Make It Gluten-Free: Substitute your favorite gluten-free spaghetti or wide rice noodles. Or try serving the tomato-lobster sauce over a bowl of creamy polenta instead!
• Switch Up The Alcohol: Use a dry white vermouth instead of wine, or go for a nutty Spanish flavor profile by using a fino sherry.
• Make It Alcohol-Free: You can substitute seafood or chicken stock to deglaze the pan instead of wine. Make sure to taste and adjust your seasonings—you may find the dish needs an extra teaspoon or two of lemon juice if you leave out the wine.
• Make It Dairy-Free: Simply omit the Parmesan cheese garnish, and you’ve got a completely dairy-free meal at your fingertips!
• Herb Swap: Try using tarragon instead of parsley in this recipe—the fresh, anise-y flavor goes very well with seafood. A mixture of parsley and fresh mint also works well in lobster pasta.

What to Serve with Lobster Pasta

• Begin with cocktail hour: Stir together a pitcher of Negronis or toast with a Limoncello Spritz. 
• Put out an elegant salad as a first course, like our Frisée Salad with Pears, Blue Cheese & Crispy Proscuitto or our Lemony Fennel Salad with Shaved Parmesan and Toasted Walnuts. 
• End the meal with a decadent but not-too-filling Dark Chocolate and Olive Oil Mousse.